Fodder from new camera

[susandennis]

This morning was perfect walking weather. Overcast and cool. And I tried out my new camera.

Originally, I had the idea that I would walk along, snap a few, pop the card out of the camera and into the Treo and email the shots off while I was still walking. Hit a big DOH. I also use the Treo to listen to music while I'm walking. The MP3's live on the card. Pop the card out and you stop the music. Then there was a DOH jr. in that the pictures are quite bigger than the Treo pictures so while batching 10 Treo shots and mailing them is a nothing burger, batching 10 high res pix and mailing at cellphone speed is not too practical. So. I think, on walks, we'll be snapping and then mailing after I get home. This Casio is way easier to get the pictures out of than my Kodak - can get off the card or off the camera directly. Excellent.

And, even though I still don't know how to use this camera, it does a nice job on it's own. And now I can grab some really interesting stuff on my walks - like this one. This shot is from the alley. The alley is really a bus only road that is decorated for many blocks by wonderful wall art. As it happens, the one building with the quote "In nature is the preservation of the world." - Thoreau, is the one that is burned out. Interesting, eh?

The one thing I can't figure out is how to get the color of my yarn right. I had this problem with the Kodak and I still have it. I can't fix it with the camera or with my software. It's really annoying. This yarn is a little bit burgundy. It's called Autumn Red and it is a really different color than what it looks like here. I've tried in incandescent light and natural light. Grrrrr.

Comments

[kyrielle]

I love color headaches (said sarcastically). It's fixable, though. The problem is the camera has not got enough references! Set the thing you want to photograph out on a white background (true white, not off-white - if you can't manage that, put a sheet of blank paper near it as one of the objects). Place objects of several different colors around it (not too close, though - see later parts of this) - make sure you include a true black. For this shade, something yellow and something blue would be a good idea, too, I think. Take a photo that includes all that crap. Adjust in software 'til the values fit - you should be much closer, now. Then crop all the unwanted objects out. ;)

[susandennis]

You know, that's a good idea to get clear contracted color objects in the photo! I remember now, years ago, I had an artist friend and when she would photograph her paintings she always started off the roll with a photo of my cigarettes so that the processor would have a color gauge! I'd totally forgotten that.

[victory-rose.livejournal.com]

What photo software do you use?

Don't know if you've tried it, but I really like my PaintShop Pro 8 - it generally allows me to get the pictures as true as I want them to be. There have been exceptions, but not many (although the "One Step Photo Fix" can, on occasion, come out just awful).

It did cost around 80 dollars, but compared to the hundreds of dollars the Photoshop program cost (when I checked it a while ago), that's cheap.

Oops, sorry, didn't mean to plug this intensely. ;-)

[kyrielle]

*grins* Photoshop Elements will let you do color tweaking too, and is free with some cameras - it's what I use, since it came with the camera. But even that won't save a picture where the camera did so badly there's no point of reference, in my experience - some of 'em, one bit of it or another is going to come out wrong unless you start selecting pieces and adjusting them (which is just too finicky for me most days - I'm lazy).

[susandennis]

I LOVE Paint Shop Pro. I've been using it since forever (well, actually, since it was $30 which I think was version 2). But, I'm much better with it on graphics stuff and not so good on photography. I think I may need to get the book out.

[ruralrob.livejournal.com]

Check first to see if your camera has a white balance function. If not Paint Shop Pro8 (my choice) or Photoshop should both help you play around with the colour balance of the image so that your sweater will turn out yellow, purple - or even burgundy.

And btw, I think you have a good future with this camera. You have a natural eye for spotting the photogenic, it seems to me..

[susandennis]

Oh, it has a white balance function. It just doesn't have an operator who knows how to use it! And I love PSP 8. I've been a PSP lover since 2! Again, operator inadequacy... Very sad. I actually can make the sweater yellow. And blue. Just not the correct burgundy. But, I'll keep trying.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

You might try plying Danny djjo with questions about photographing wool. He is a serious knitter, in fact a couple yarn companies are using patterns he has designed, and he is considering starting a business. He is also an accomplished photographer, and has even done some arty photography using wool, as in this self-portrait (http://www.torque.net/~djjo/private/photos/photopia1.jpg). He's travelling this week, but I expect he would have some useful tips for you.

[rsc.livejournal.com]

Umm, Susan? Several of your recent LJ posts have been in a smaller font than usual. Could you perhaps take pity on us presbyopic old fogies?

[susandennis]

very strange!! They all look exactly the same to me. Hmmmmm this bears some investigation and I shall get on it. Thanks for asking! Presbyopic Peeps Unite!!!!

[susandennis]

Figured out the problem, fixed it! My friends view defines the font (because I need it always big!) so I wasn't seeing the teeny one. And, I learned that Semagic was setting it funky. Fixed the Semagic fixed the last two teensy entries.

Thanks so much for saying something!!

[rsc.livejournal.com]

Always glad to help. Thanks for fixing it.